Aurelia is the Princess of Verenza, dedicated to helping out her country and people any way she can. She’s grown up knowing that her every movement represents her country. So when she receives a death threat from a legitimate source, her father takes no chances in securing her safety. Enter Ryot Davenport, former marine, security professional, and heir to a dynasty in the UK. When Aurelia gets a look at her new bodyguard, she recognizes him as the man who saved her from some unwanted attention at a bar recently. And then shared a steamy moment of passion. But now that Ryot is in charge of Aurelia’s protection, he insists they must keep things strictly professional. Only they can’t look at each other without feeling the chemistry between them. When Aurelia learns that her country is on the verge of bankruptcy, she knows she’ll do anything to help. Even entering a marriage of convenience. The Reluctant Wife by L. Steele is an adult contemporary romance novel where Aurelia has a shot at love, but the road to having her dreams come true is a bumpy one.
Book
Aurelia always knew that she would likely marry someone of royalty, as monarchies tend to do. Having grown up in the spotlight, she’s used to having little control over her life. Only she can’t help but push the boundaries that Ryot attempts to set between them. Soon he finds that he can’t resist his attraction and growing feelings towards the princess.
Sparks continue to fly and the couple gives in to their passion. But Ryot has a complicated love history, and still feels guilty over his relationship with his late wife. But Aurelia and Verenza still need help. So he offers a marriage of convenience so that he can continue protecting her and help with the financial burden. The question is – can Ryot learn to let go of his past for a real shot at love? Or will Aurelia have to risk a loveless marriage – even if it’s with the man of her dreams?
Review
Steele creates a suspenseful and steamy love story in The Reluctant Wife. I appreciated the depth of these characters and how obvious it was that they uniquely understood each other. While their relationship was basically insta-lust, their duties to their families added enough complications to make the story interesting. They each had to work through their feelings for each other and themselves.
However, the back-and-forth between them became redundant and extensive. Ryot needed to get over his guilt in order to admit his love for Aurelia. But Aurelia needed to process her feelings for him before they could live happily as husband and wife. It seemed overdone at one point. Plus, the culprit behind the threats to Aurelia’s life – although not initially obvious – didn’t make complete sense, nor did the motivations add up. Nevertheless, readers who are looking for a spicey, bodyguard-princess marriage of convenience romance definitely need to add The Reluctant Wife to their reading list.
